Liverpool are close to completing the signing of Loïc Rémy from QPR but Emre Can is in danger of missing their pre-season tour to the United States after limping out of the team’s 2-1 friendly win at Preston North End on Saturday.

Can, Brendan Rodgers’s new £10m midfield signing from Bayer Leverkusen, suffered a calf injury 20 minutes into the game and will be assessed by the Anfield medical staff on Sunday morning. They will determine whether he is fit enough to join the squad’s flight across the Atlantic on Sunday.

By then Rodgers hopes to have pushed through his fifth signing of a busy summer which has also seen Luis Suárez’s departure for Barcelona. Rémy, the France striker, is on the verge of moving north-west after an £8m fee was agreed with QPR. Rémy had a successful loan stint at Newcastle United last season and his impending arrival leaves the way clear for Fabio Borini’s departure for Sunderland.

Although Liverpool have accepted Sunderland’s £14m offer for a forward who spent last term on loan at the Stadium of Light, Borini – who started the game at Preston – has still to be fully persuaded to make Wearside his permanent home.

Arsenal made rather less heavy weather of a trip to play Boreham Wood where a youthful ensemble enjoyed a straightforward victory courtesy of goals from Benik Afobe and Kris Olsson. Aaron Ramsey was one of the few senior faces on view and Arsène Wenger will have been pleased to see one of his key midfielders come through unscathed.

Sunderland’s players and supporters, meanwhile, observed a minute’s silence ahead of their friendly at Darlington in memory of John Alder and Liam Sweeney, the two Newcastle United fans en route to New Zealand and their club’s impending pre-season tour, who died on flight MH17.

Elsewhere, Mohamed Salah very much hopes to be staying put at Chelsea but the midfielder, who scored an impressive goal during his side’s 3-2 win at AFC Wimbledon, could be forced to return to Egypt to complete his military service.

Salah, signed from Basel by José Mourinho last January, is currently the subject of complex negotiations involving Egypt’s government, its football federation and Chelsea.

After AFC Wimbledon had startled Mourinho by cantering into a two-goal lead, John Terry advanced to score two goals, the second of which was a late winner. Louise Taylor